Petroleum ashphaltene handler additive compound

ABSTRACT

This invention refers to the manufacture and use of a petroleum asphaltene handler additive compound, which when applied in heavy oil, it makes asphaltenes to remain in suspension or dissolve, producing a viscosity reduction effect, this way avoiding formation of asphaltenic conglomerates precipitation in oil wells, storage tanks, as well as keeping pipelines from being obstructed. 
     The components of this new additive compound achieve such a molecular coupling that the final liquid may be miscible in all types of oil. There are currently solubility models with the use of different methods for handling asphaltenes; some of them use solvents which generate other problems to the oil&#39;s physical and chemical stability, and in other cases, for example, the use of steam or heat, it becomes a temporary solution because the oil returns to the initial conditions at the end because reversible processes are utilized.

INVENTION BACKGROUND

As it is well known, petroleum is formed by organic compounds of varied structures and different molecular weights. It is possible to group said organic compounds in saturates, aromatics, resins and asphaltenes. The latter represent the heavy fraction and have increased in Mexico, as in the rest of the world, causing production and conversion problems.

Asphaltenes are considered to be a fraction of heavy oil which may be soluble and are found colloidal suspension, disperse in a continuous phase and surrounded by resins in a micelle. Resins are responsible for keeping asphaltenes separate, maintaining the system stable.

When there is a physical-chemical disturbance in an oil field, as it commonly occurs in production wells, it causes the concentration of resin molecules to undergo changes, causing them to leave the micelle, altering the stability of the asphaltenes that are suspended in oil, weakening asphaltenes' repulsive forces, generating a mutual interaction among asphaltenes,

This invention provides an innovative additive compound which can be utilized in handling these asphaltenes, this way allowing for an improvement in heavy crude oil, increasing the production of oil wells and improving its transportation in pipelines.

INVENTION DESCRIPTION

The characteristic of this innovative petroleum asphaltene handler additive compound are dearly described in the following description and in the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustration of oil breakdown with normally-distributed asphaltenes without any physical or chemical disturbances.

FIG. 2 depicts an illustration of modified asphaltenes forming conglomerates causing alterations in heavy oil.

The sole presence of asphaltenes in oil is not an indication of a problem in an oil well's production or in its transportation in pipelines. There is a larger concentration of asphaltenes in heavy or extra heavy oil, and they usually remain stable in normal conditions. But this stability is relative; it may be modified if there is a change in oil temperature and pressure. We can see an illustration in FIG. 1 of how the different oil components are interacting in a stable system: straight (1) and curvy lines (2) represent paraffin molecules; black circles (3) represent aromatic molecules; white circles (4) represent resin molecules; and the solid dark shapes (5) represent asphaltene molecules.

FIG. 2 shows an unbalance in oil when asphaltene particles (5) are in motion and there is contact among them in resin-free areas (1, 2) whose concentration is modified, sticking to each other, forming an asphaltenic group with other individual particles of variable sizes, producing a phenomenon known as aggregation, where individual asphaltenes (5) are adhered to other individual particles or other clusters, causing aggregates to grow. As the aggregation process occurs, the number of individual asphaltene particles (5) and asphaltenic dusters decreases due to the aggregates coming together, forming other larger and heavier aggregates. There are also some external elements, such as gravity, adsorption, emulsions, etc., causing asphaltenic particles and aggregates to have a tendency to precipitate (6) to the bottom and stick to the walls of pipelines or storage tanks, producing what is known as organic deposition.

It is possible to classify the types of oils as shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Types of oil according to its physical characteristics Oil Type Density (g/ml) API Gravity Extra Heavy >1.0  <10 Heavy 0.92 to 1.0  <22 Medium 0.87 to 0.92 <31 Light 0.83 to 0.87 <30 Super Light <0.83 >39

As mentioned above, heavy and extra heavy oil has larger contents of asphaltenes, so any unbalance may generate a major problem in its production and transportation in pipelines when a deposition of heavy fractions occurs, producing a high-viscosity effects due to its density and API gravity.

In order to improve control of the asphaltenes, an additive compound was prepared which is formed by the following substances shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Formulation of the asphaltene handler additive compound Chemical Component Amount Name Effect in Oil Toluene   50% Methylbenzene Asphaltenes Dissolution Methyl oleate   21% Methyl cis-9- Asphaltenes octadecenoate suspension Methyl linoleate 21.5% Methyl 9,12- Asphaltenes octadecenoate suspension Methyl palmitate  5.5% Methyl Asphaltenes hexadecanoate suspension Methyl stearate   2% Methyl Asphaltenes octadecanoate suspension

Describing in Each Element the Effect on the Asphaltenes

This additive compound when prepared at a temperature of 25° C., has the following characteristics:

-   Melting point: −5° C. -   Density: 0.86 g/ml

Three doses with the additive compound were prepared as an example in heavy oil with the following characteristics:

-   Test temperature: 25° C. -   Initial viscosity: 15,357 cP (centipoises) -   Sediment percentage: 0.1% -   Emulsion percentage: 0% -   Water percentage: 1%

The results obtained in the test are described in Table 3, where it is possible to observe the effect of asphaltene handling with the additive compound, in a reduction in viscosity of the heavy oil.

TABLE 3 Viscosity reduction with the asphaltene handler additive compound Reduction Dose Viscosity (cP) Percentage 1% 10,750 29.99% 3% 5,011 67.36% 5% 3,251 78.83%

The dose of the asphaltene handler additive compound is going to depend upon the oil's physical characteristics where it is going to be applied. Another additional variable influencing its dosage is the cost one wishes to add to each barrel of oil to be treated.

It is also important to point out that this additive compound produces a permanent effect in heavy oil, where the viscosity reduction does not have any reversible effects, as in the case of heating or steam injection methods, where the oil's physical properties return to their initial state it had before the treatment. 

1. A petroleum asphaltene handler additive compound characterized by an additive composition with a melting point of −5° C. and a density of 0.86 g/ml, prepared at a temperature of 25° C., formulated with 50% toluene, 21% methyl oleate, 21.5% methyl linoleate, 5.5% methyl palmitate and 2% methyl stearate.
 2. A petroleum asphaltene handler additive compound characterized because just as described in claim 1, when applied to heavy and extra heavy oil, said additive compound stabilizes asphaltenes by keeping them in suspension, avoiding the formation of asphaltenic aggregates and their precipitation to the bottom of wells or storage tanks.
 3. A petroleum asphaltene handler additive compound characterized because just as described in claim 1, when applied to heavy and extra heavy oil, said additive compound has the capacity of dissolving asphaltenes.
 4. A petroleum asphaltene handler additive compound characterized because just as described in claims 2 and 3, said additive compound produces a viscosity reduction effect measured in centipoises (cP) of heavy and extra heavy oil, from 47% to 81% applying a dose between a range of 1% to 5%.
 5. A petroleum asphaltene handler additive compound characterized because just as described in claim 4, said additive compound reduces the viscosity of heavy and extra heavy oil when mixed inside the oil well or during its transportation in pipelines.
 6. A petroleum asphaltene handler additive compound characterized because just as described in claim 5, the reduction in viscosity of heavy and extra heavy oil produced by its application and dosage is irreversible. 